Flour sifter



VFLOUR S I FTER July 15 1924.

| w.' FARQUHARSON Filed Feb. 28, 1924 #ggg/27 Patented July l5, 1924.

UNITED STATES IRVING W. FARQUHARSON,

PATENT orFica.

F MEDIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FLOUR SIFTER.

Application led February 28, 1924. Serial No. 695,687.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I IRVING W. FARQUHAR- soN a citizen of the 2United States, residing at Media, county of Delaware, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Flour Sifter, of which the follo-wing is a specification.

This invention relates to culinary implements and has particular reference to an improved form of sifter for use with flour, and the like.

An object of this invention is to provide a reversible sifter, or one which has upper and lower chambers with the sifting means interposed between the chambers, so that the sifter can be inverted to'sift the contents back andV forth by the chambers, this feature is particularly adapted for use when it is desirable to dry out and fluff flour and to integrally mix baking powder through the same without the necessityof removing the material in the sifter between each operation.

Another object is to provide a new and novel arrangement of agitators and operating mechanism therefor whereby. not only is a postive, continuous drive afforded the agitators but the same may be operated at a relatively high rate o-f speed. A further object is to provide an agitator and screen construction wherein the agitators are prevented from undue contactl with the sifter screen. Other and further objects not at this time more particularly pointed out will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists of the novel construction hereinafter described and finally claimed.

The nature, characteristic features and scope of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, and in which:

Fig. 1, is a view in vertical section of a sifter embodying features o-f the invention.

Fig. 2, is a View in section taken upon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, is a fragmentary View in vertical section of a modified form of agitator construction, and

Fig. 4, is a similar view of a further modified form of agitato-r construction.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown' in the accompanying drawings several forms thereof which are at present preferred by me, since the same have been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood thatV the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise ar rangement and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Referring to the drawing the numeral designates the body or central portion of the sifter which is disclosed of cylindrical form open at its opposite ends and provided midway of its ends with an annular outwardly pressed bead 11. The bead 11 forms an annular channel within the central section 10 receiving the edge of a screen 12 which engages across the inner portion of the body. Upon opposite sides of screen 12 are arranged in a rotatable manner agitators inthe form of bladesr 13. These blades are fixed to a verticall arranged, rotatable shaft 14, mounted in a racket 15. The bracket 15 is in turn supported in fixed manner from a cross-piece 16 fixed within the sifter body 10. Also secured to cross-piece 16 is yan arm 17 arranged to parallel the upper part of bracket for a portion of its length. Between the upper part of bracket 15 and said arm 17 is vertically arranged a toothed wheel 18 fixed upon a horizontal operating shaft 19, the latter being supported by the wall of body 10 and the arm 17 and bracket 15. The wheel 18 is in mesh with a horizontally disposed toothed wheel 2O fixed to vertical shaft 14. Operating shaft 19 is projected through the body side wall and is provided with a handle 21. The above described parts are common to all structures illustrated. In Fig. 1, each set of the agitator blades 13 is arranged to track upon an annular guide 22 carried by the inner wall of body 10. This keeps the blades upon an even keel in their rotation and thereby prevents packing of lourbetween the blades and the screen. The ends of the blades are each provided with projections 23. There is thus provided Y-shaped agitator ends adapted to straddle an annular guide 22 so that little or no swaying of the agitatorblades can takel place.

In Fig. 3, the blades 24 are not guided by vannular members, as I may desireto dis` pense therewith 'under certain conditions.

In Fig. 4,"the agitators are in the form of rods fixed to vertical shaft 14 as at 26.

Around each rod 25 is wound a spiral spring Gli CIJ

27 each end of which is fixed to a rod. Thus in rotation of the rods, said springs light-ly impinge upon screen l2 and break up Hour particles and prevent packing of flour' upon the screen. e

The body 10 has fitted to each end thereof a cover 28 which may be secured by means of catches Q9. The body may also have a handle 30.

lnuseA the flour is placed in one end of the receptacle which can be done by dipping it into the bin with the closure open. The closures are closed and the flour sifted into the opposite end, the receptacle reversed, and the operation repeated as desired.

It will now be apparentthatl havedevised a novel and useful construction which which have been found in practice to giveV satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same are susceptible of modification in various particulars without departingfrom the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages. f

Having thus described my invention, what l claim is: n

l. A sifter comprising a body having an annular bead intermediate the open ends thereof, a screen extended transversely of the body and bearing in said annular bead an annular guide fixed to the inner wall of said body above `and below said screen, an agitating device arranged upon opposite sides of said screen in parallelism therewith, means carried by said agitating device for tracking upon said upper and lower guide a vertical shaft rotatably mounted within Said body and penetrating said screen and supporting` said agitating devices, a horizontal operating shaft projected through the body side wall,.meshing gear wheels operatively connectingysaid vertical and horizontal shafts, and a removable closure for each end of said body.

.2. A sifter comprising a body having an lannular bead intermediate the open ends thereof, a screen extended transversely of the body and bearing in said annular bead an annular guide fixed to the inner wall of said body above and below said screen, an agitating device arranged upon opposite sides of said screen invparallelism therewith, means upon each side of said screen for guiding said devices with respect to said upperand lower guides in a mannerxtopreclude undue contact with said screen, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted within said .bodyand penetrating said screen and lsupporting said agitating devices, ahorizontal 'of thel body and bearing in said annular bead an annular guide fixed to the inner wall` of said 'body above and below said screen, an agitating device arranged upon opposite sides of saidscreen in parallelism therewith, means carried by said agitating device for tracking upon said upper and lower g-uides, a vertical shaft rotatably'mounted within said body and penetrating said screen andl supportingsaid agitating devices, a bracket fixed within said body in which bracket said vertical shaft is journalled, a horizontal operating shaft projected through the body side wall and supported at its inner end by said bracket, meshing gear wheels operatively connecting said vertical and horizontal shafts, and a removable closure for each end of ysaid body. i

4. 'A sifter comprising a body having an annularbead intermediatev the open ends thereof, a 'screen extendedtransversely of the body and bearing in said'annular bead, an agitating device comprised ofradially disposed arms 'arranged upon opposite sides y of said screen each arm having fixed thereto a member to provide a substantially Y- shaped arm end, a ring fixed to the body side wallabove and below said screen, said rings being straddled by said arm ends in their rotation, means for rotating said arms, and a removable closure for each end of said body., y 4

5. A sifte'rcomprising a body having an annular bead intermediate the open' ends thereof, a screen extended transversely of the body and bearing in lsaid annular bead, an agitating device comprised of radially disposed arms arranged upon opposite sides of'said screen each arm having fixed thereto a member to provide a substantially Y- shaped arm end, a ring fixed to the body side wall above and below said screen, said rings being straddled by saidarm ends in their rotation, a bracket supported in' said body, a vertical shaft provided with a gear wheel journalled in said lbracket and carrying said arms, a horizontalshaft projected through the 'body side wall and Ournalled in said bracket and also having a gear wheel in mesh with the first mentioned gear wheel, said" horizontal shaft having an operating handle, and a removable closure foreach end of said body.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed mv'name.

p :ravine w; FaRQUHAnsoN. 

